A look at what didn’t happen this week
NOT REAL NEWS: Prayers, no animal slaughter at Minn. stadium
A mass Muslim prayer service scheduled for Tuesday at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis to mark an Islamic holiday will not feature the slaughter of animals as reports circulating online suggest.
The free event, expected to draw 50,000 people, coincides with the observance of Eid alAdha, which means “Feast of Sacrifice.” It commemorates the willingness of the Prophet Ibrahim — Abraham to Christian and Jews — to sacrifice his son. Traditionally, during the holiday, Muslims slaughter sheep or cattle and distribute part of the meat to the poor, then eat the rest.
“Today US Bank Stadium hosted the Vikings game,” wrote one Twitter user, whose tweet was shared more than 10,000 times. “On Tuesday it will host the “Festival of Sacrifice” (google “Eid ul-Adha”) where 50,000 Muslims attending are expected to ‘sacrifice their best domestic animals, usually a cow or goat.’”
Numerous versions of the claim circulated via Twitter and on blogs.
“No animal sacrifice will take place at U.S. Bank Stadium,” said Jenn Hathaway, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, which runs U.S. Bank Stadium. The National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings play football at the stadium. The group has paid to rent the stadium for the prayer service, she confirmed.
She said many organizations and religious groups reserve U.S. Bank Stadium for events and gatherings of all sizes.
The four-hour prayer service is hosted by Super Eid Inc., a group of local Muslim organizations that celebrate the holiday together every year in Minneapolis, according to one of the event organizers. The annual event has been held at the Minneapolis Convention Center for the past decade. This is the first year the prayer will take place at the stadium, Hathaway told The Associated Press.
Super Eid is also hosting a festival at The Commons, a public park adjacent to the stadium. Super Eid paid the fees to host the festival, which will feature a zip line, inflatable bounce houses and a petting zoo, said Amanda Wigen, the director of programming for Green Minneapolis, the park’s operator.
“There will absolutely not be any slaughtering of animals,” Wigen said.
Minnesota is home to the nation’s largest Somali community, roughly 57,000, many who live in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and are Muslim.
NOT REAL: Queen Elizabeth Declares Prince William And Kate Middleton As The Future King And Queen Consort
THE FACTS: Queen Elizabeth II has not announced that she will pass the crown directly to her grandson Prince William, despite what articles circulating online claim. The popularity of the younger royals — Prince William, Prince Harry and their wives Kate and Meghan — has spurred speculation that the 92-year-old monarch might make William king rather than her 69-yearold son and heir, Prince Charles. Charles’ image is sullied in some eyes by his messy divorce from the late Princess Diana, his second marriage to the also-divorced Camilla Parker Bowles and his tendency to share his strong opinions on everything from the environment to modern architecture. But it’s wishful thinking. The line of succession is governed by centuries-old rules, and the deeply traditional queen has no intention of altering it. Even if the queen did want to change it, she doesn’t have the power to do so unilaterally. The royal family’s official website explains that “the succession to the throne is regulated not only through descent, but also by Parliamentary statute.” Altering it would need approval from lawmakers, not only in Britain but in 15 other countries where the British monarch is head of state. Also contrary to some reports, the queen has not announced that William’s wife Kate, currently the Duchess of Cambridge, will be known as Queen Consort once her husband takes the throne.
NOT REAL: Tell us your favorite topping and get TWO free large pizzas from Little Caesars!
THE FACTS: Little Caesars is not giving away two large pizzas to users who share their favorite topping on Facebook, despite a coupon circulating on social media. Awkward wording and a misspelling on the promotion hint that it is a hoax: “We need Your Opinion! Tell us what is Yor Favorite topping and get two free large pizzas!” It asks users to share their opinion on Facebook and ‘like’ the page to get their pizzas. Little Caesars warned customers on its Facebook page not to click on the fraudulent ad, saying it was not generated nor distributed by the company. The fake offer is similar to several others that have circulated online recently, including ones for free dinners at Red Lobster and gift cards for Chipotle.
This is part of The Associated Press’ ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.
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